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Live To Tell
Live To Tell is a song by American recording artist, Madonna. It is the lead single of the album True Blue and is the 4th track from it. The song is a pop ballad. Basic Info *Released: March 26, 1986 *Format: 7", 12", CD Single *Recording Session: 1985 *Genre: Pop *Length: 5:51 *Label: Sire, Warner Bros. Records *Writers: Madonna, Patrick Leonard *Producers: Madonna, Patrick Leonard Background The song was originally planned to be a part of Patrick Leonard's soundtrack of Fire With Fire, a Paramount romantic drama film. But, the song was rejected by Paramount, and was presented to Madonna. She decided to use it for the new film of her then-husband Sean Penn's At Close Range. Madonna wrote the lyrics of the song onspot, and made a demo on a cassette. She presented the song to the director of the film, James Foley, who decided to enlist Patrick Leonard to write the score for the film, as per suggestions by Madonna, after hearing it. Critical Response "Live to Tell" was well-received by music critics. In a review of the album, Allmusic's Stephen Erlewine called it a "tremendous ballad that rewrites the rules of adult contemporary crossover". Jim Farber from Entertainment Weekly called the song "her best ballad to date". In a review of her compilation album The Immaculate Conception, David Browne from the same magazine called it "one of her few successful shots at being a balladeer". Alfred Soto from Stylus Magazine felt that "the song's set of lyrics remain her best" and that the vocals "seethes with a lifetime's worth of hurts which she nevertheless refuses to share". Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine called the song "striking" adding that it "rewrote the rules of what a pop song was supposed to sound like". Erica Wexler from Spin, while reviewing the album, called "Live to Tell" as "dark and moody, dense with dramatic mystery. In this mushy tale of lost innocence, Madonna very theatrically conveys a lost fatalism. Her fragile voice aches for reassurance and healing when she sings 'Will it grow cold? The secret that I hide, Will I grow old?" Music Video Madonna used a look for the video that is from her role in the film Shanghai Surprise, where she toned down her appearance, and was inspired by Marilyn Monroe. Her make-up was pale and subtly, her shoulder length hair was wavy and golden blonde, and her clothes consisted of a simple 1930s-style floral dress. The music video showed Madonna as a narrator, singing the song in a darkened studio. She portrays someone whose song comments on the story, appearing in shots completely different from the narrative action. She appears to speak for the character, addressing his problems directly, like the chorus of a classical tragedy. The video was directed by James Foley, the direction of At Close Range, and used clips from the movie, too. Live on Tours Madonna performed the song on 3 tours: #The Who's That Girl Tour #The Blond Ambition Tour #The Confessions Tour The Confessions Tour's performance caused controversy, with Madonna hanging on a mirrored cross and wearing a crown of thorns. It was condemned as an act of hostility toward the Roman Catholic Church by religious leaders. Madonna replied to this: : "I am very grateful that my show was so well received all over the world. But there seems to be many misinterpretations about my appearance on the cross and I wanted to explain it myself once and for all. There is a segment in my show where three of my dancers 'confess' or share harrowing experiences from their childhood that they ultimately overcame. My 'confession' follows and takes place on a Crucifix that I ultimately come down from. This is not a mocking of the church. It is no different than a person wearing a Cross or 'Taking Up the Cross' as it says in the Bible. My performance is neither anti-Christian, sacrilegious or blasphemous. Rather, it is my plea to the audience to encourage mankind to help one another and to see the world as a unified whole. I believe in my heart that if Jesus were alive today he would be doing the same thing. My specific intent is to bring attention to the millions of children in Africa who are dying every day, and are living without care, without medicine and without hope. I am asking people to open their hearts and minds to get involved in whatever way they can. The song ends with a quote from the Bible's Book of Matthew: 'For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was naked and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you took care of me and God replied, "Whatever you did for the least of my brothers... you did it to me.' Please do not pass judgement without seeing my show." wtgt_ltt01.jpg|The Who's That Girl Tour. She performed it standing in a motionless spotlight. blondambitionlivetotell.jpg|The Blond Ambition Tour. She performed it with Oh Father in a medley. 2008_0813_madonna_on_cross_getty_smaller.jpg|The Confessions Tour. She performed it on a mirrored cross with a crown of thorns. Lyrics I have a tale to tell Sometimes it gets so hard to hide it well I was not ready for the fall Too blind to see the writing on the wall A man can tell a thousand lies I've learned my lesson well Hope I live to tell The secret I have learned, 'till then It will burn inside of me I know where beauty lives I've seen it once, I know the warmth she gives The light that you could never see It shines inside, you can't take that from me A man can tell a thousand lies I've learned my lesson well Hope I live to tell The secret I have learned, 'till then It will burn inside of me The truth is never far behind You kept it hidden well If I live to tell The secret I knew then Will I ever have the chance again? If I ran away, I'd never have the strength to go very far How would they hear the beating of my heart Will it grow cold, the secret that I hide? Will I grow old? How will they hear, when will they learn, how will they know? A man can tell a thousand lies I've learned my lesson well Hope I live to tell The secret I have learned, 'till then It will burn inside of me The truth is never far behind You kept it hidden well If I live to tell The secret I knew then Will I ever have the chance again? A man can tell a thousand lies I've learned my lesson well Hope I live to tell The secret I have learned, 'till then It will burn inside of me Category:Songs Category:Browse